Many food products are treated to remove or minimize the impact of potentially harmful bacteria that may be present on the surface of the food products. Often a gas agent that exhibits antimicrobial properties is used with certain food products to disinfect or even sterilize the surfaces of the food products. For eggs, for example, a gas agent may be used to disinfect the eggshell from bacteria present in the eggshell. One such gas agent is chlorine dioxide (ClO2), which is an oxidizing agent that reacts with several cellular constituents of microbes.
After disinfecting, the food products are packed and shipped for distribution. For frangible objects, such as eggs, the food products are packed into egg cartons that are used for transportation to a grocer, display, and eventual storage after purchase by the consumer.
The disinfecting of the eggs prior to packaging is a food processing step that adds expense and time to egg processing.